Sarah O'Higgins faces the challenges of coming of age in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, where she begins to imagine a fairy-tale life in which hers could take. The story traces the trajectory of her beginnings in Williamsburg, the familial pasts of her Northern mother and father, and the discovery of her Prince Charming, whose historical roots are linked to the fifteenth President of the United States. The brief love affair is magical, but leads to a not-so-happy Cinderella ending when William, her Prince Charming, takes an extended trip to South America and becomes enamored with Latin American culture and women. After she realizes that her fairy-tale love is lost, she searches for remnants of her lost love in the countries of South America in an attempt to understand the lure. Without a clear understanding of his attachment to Latin America, Sarah turns her Cinderella story gone sour into a journey of discovery and opportunity for new beginnings.